Wanderlust
by AlmostMrsW
Summary: Set six years after TBC. Josie Willis is practical with a secret desire for a wild, adventurous life. John Bender is unruly with a penchant for making respectable women come undone. "It takes getting everything you ever wanted, and then losing it to know what true freedom is."
1. Chapter 1

Josie had always been an adventurous girl trapped in a practical life. Her dreams of grandeur had been the result of a passion for great literature and an equal fondness for classic movies. Illinois summers were spent in the backyard hammock with a book, while favorite films like _Roman Holiday _and _Bringing Up Baby _were reserved for the bitter winters. While she craved a life of risk without regrets, her fear of failure often got in her way and led her to a never-ending quest for perfection, where she would graduate top of her class in high school, take on a sensible major in college, and work towards a safe but reliable career in nursing. Josie's big adventures were on the back burner, seemingly too grand for her to achieve.

However unrealistic those secret longings seemed, they were set to resurface the moment she opened the door into the waiting room at the hospital and called for the next patient.

"John Bender?" she asked, looking out into the lobby. A young man stood up, making his way over to her while holding a dirty rag to his head. He avoided her eyes, stepping into the hallway and towering over her much shorter frame like a skyscraper.

"Right this way, sir." She led him to the appropriate room, where she advised him to have a seat while she prepped the paperwork. John Bender sat on the examination table, looking almost comical at his height; even sitting, he was still taller than Josie by a few inches. She took a seat herself and began to go through his paperwork, glancing up to take a look at her patient.

He was ruggedly handsome, despite the crimson stream of blood flowing down the side of his face. Dark hair, dark eyes, and a strong stubbled jaw, slightly clenched at the moment. His broad, masculine frame wore a black Pink Floyd t-shirt under a raggedy blue flannel shirt, ripped jeans, and worn work boots. Josie suddenly realized she was gawking and turned in her chair abruptly, subsequently knocking a folder off of the counter behind her. Cursing inwardly, she bent over to pick up the mess.

"_Hello_, nurse."

Josie went beet red, nearly the same color as her scrubs, and hurriedly scooped up the papers in her arms. She wasn't sure what embarrassed her more: that she had been foolish enough to bend over in front of him, or that he had the audacity to throw a catcall at her. The room suddenly felt hotter than Hell itself.

After organizing her papers, Josie composed herself enough to ask, "What brings you in today, Mr. Bender?"

John looked back at her with a mischievous smirk, making her insides tremble. "I do believe _you_ brought me in, miss. You called my name. I'd have been an idiot not to oblige such a beautiful woman like yourself."

_Quit blushing!_ Josie chastised herself, remembering that she was a professional. She'd had outspoken patients plenty of times and handled them all like a champ; this man should be no exception. She cleared her throat and pulled her stethoscope from around her neck.

"How'd you get that cut on your face?" She asked, making her way over to him.

"Bar fight," John replied coolly, straightening a bit as Josie pressed the end of the stethoscope to his chest. Their gazes met briefly, but it was long enough for Josie to recognize his lie. She placed the stethoscope to his back.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes."

"A bar fight at 10 AM on a Wednesday?"

Without missing a beat, John replied, "It's five o'clock somewhere." At this, Josie smiled and put the stethoscope back around her neck. She began to check his pulse, feeling his stare on her. Had it really been so long since she last dated that a random patient was making her giddy? She and her last boyfriend, Will, had only broken up a few months ago, but male attention shouldn't have felt so surprising at this point.

"You wanna tell me the real reason?" She asked while checking his blood pressure on his right arm (his quite muscular arm, she noted). John gave her a knowing look, waiting until she'd unwrapped the band from his arm, and chuckled.

"You don't believe me?"

Josie rolled her eyes and replied, "Maybe stories like that will work on the interns here, but you can't pull one of those on me, I'm afraid."

There was a brief pause of silence, then John raised an eyebrow. He looked Josie over from head to toe, examining her appearance through piercing eyes. She knew she must have looked pretty plain in her raspberry scrubs and tennis shoes, but she was fairly grateful that she chose to throw on some mascara and lipstick today. After a moment, Josie started feeling uncomfortable at his gaze, so she continued the exam.

"Would you mind removing the towel from your head so I can see the laceration?" She asked him, to which he obliged and left the bloody rag in his lap. Josie found a decently large cut in his left temple. It was still bleeding, but not too badly.

"What's your name?" John asked, making Josie aware of just how close their faces were. She looked over to him briefly, then went back to examining the wound.

"Josie."

"Cute name," John said. "It suits you."

At this, she regretfully blushed again. "You're going to need stitches. It's a pretty deep cut."

"You gonna sew me up, Nurse Josie?"

"You gonna tell me how it happened, John Bender?"

Their eyes met once again, a duel of mirroring brown irises, and Josie was pleased when she saw John clench his jaw in what appeared as surrender. Perhaps if she were younger and more naive, she would have melted at his feet, but she was twenty-four and clever enough to spit his game right back at him.

The silence finally broke as John cocked his head to the side and said, "We could always discuss it over a couple of drinks."

Josie chuffed at the remark, cleaning the wound gently, and replied, "I don't think I need to know what happened quite _that_ badly."

John hissed at the stinging sterilization. "Your curiosity will get the best of you." Josie gave an amused half-smile and reached up to push John's hair out of his face. She had to admit that the chemistry between them was palpable, but her good old friend Practicality reared its head and reminded her of her exhausting schedule. That had been a good part of the reason why she and Will split up in the first place. Flings with cute, cocky patients were definitely not an option.

Stepping away from John, she gathered her papers and told him, "I'll send for the doctor. He'll be in shortly." She left just in time to miss the look of slight disappointment on John's face. As she made her way over to the desk to speak with her boss, Dr. Keller, the door cracked open behind her.

"So Nurse Josie wants to be courted, then," came John Bender's voice, booming so loud with confidence that Josie couldn't help but turn to see him. He flashed her a white smile as Dr. Keller and few of the other nurses looked up from their work to see what the commotion was about. Josie was furiously pink by this point but couldn't suppress the growing smile on her lips.

"Hate to break it to ya, babydoll, but I come from a long line of stubborn, bullheaded idiots. Persistence is my specialty, and I'm gonna keep showing up here till you accept my offer."

"You better have one hell of an insurance plan," replied Josie before turning to Dr. Keller. "Your patient is ready. Good luck with that one." As she walked to the break room, she tried to ignore the looks her colleagues were giving her and focus on getting a much-needed cup of coffee in her. Was it so surprising that she had been hit on? Surely everyone at the office had dealt with obnoxious patients before; there was no reason to make such a spectacle out of what had just happened. She was almost offended by her coworkers' gawking. Almost.

"Hey," Jill the receptionist said, popping into the break room. "I know you're on break, but I just thought I'd let you know that Romeo out there left you his number on the exam table paper."

Josie flushed pink and covered her face with her hands. "Oh God, Jill, I'm so embarrassed. I don't know what that was all about. I'm so sorry."

"He also said that if you didn't call, he'd be in again in the next few days with a sprained wrist," Jill added, trying not to look as amused as she really was. Josie shot her an exasperated look. Certainly he was joking. She wasn't worth that much effort.

"Fantastic. Thank you, Jill."

"Just doing my job, dear," replied the receptionist with a smirk before returning to her post behind the desk.

Before bringing the Styrofoam cup of hot coffee to her lips, Josie recalled what John Bender had told her. _Your curiosity will get the best of you_. She smiled a bit, then took a small sip of her drink. Curiosity had always been her most fatal flaw. Perhaps it was time she finally accepted that about herself and acted upon it. He _was_ totally gorgeous and obviously into her. A date couldn't hurt, right?

When she returned to clean the exam room that John had been in, she found the examination table clean: John's number had been tossed out into the waste bin. Josie sighed and chalked it up to the universe trying to give her a sign. A sign that dating, romance, and drinks with tall dark strangers were not in the cards for Nurse Josie.


	2. Chapter 2

The following days were quite unusual for Josie at Dr. Keller's office. Ever since the John Bender incident, her co-workers had teased her relentlessly, dubbing her Florence Nightingale and asking where her lover was. Much to her dismay, Josie was wondering that same question herself. That cocky son of a gun said he'd be back to win her affection; it had been a week, and still no sign of him. She was frustrated with herself for being a little disappointed, but she tried not to let it get to her. After all, the universe had already decided her fate when his number had been thrown away that day. Who was she to question that?

Josie was sitting in the lobby at work, pretending to look busy behind the desk, when she heard the office door open. She looked up to see him enter with such a swagger that anyone off the street could have mistaken him for a rock star. Her blood tingled in her veins. John Bender may have been obnoxious, but damn was something to look at.

His handsome face split into an excited grin when he saw Josie at the desk, but he remained cool as he neared her.

"Told you I'd be back," he gleamed.

Josie raised an eyebrow, trying to seem unimpressed. "And here you are."

"Did you miss me terribly, Nurse Josie?" His puppy dog eyes made her swoon, but she pushed aside those feelings and started to organize some files.

"Oh yes. How ever did I survive a week without your smart mouth?"

"Someone's been counting the days, I see."

Josie shot him an irritated look, trying to ignore that shit-eating grin, and replied, "What's wrong with you now? You do realize we can't fix any loose screws you've got going on upstairs."

John feigned offense and brought a hand to his chest dramatically. "I'll have you know that I've been experiencing some slight discomfort in my wrist, thank you very much."

"So what did you do to it?"

Leaning over the desktop in towards Josie, John's eyes darkened and he said, "Well, you see, I met this foxy nurse last week, and naturally I couldn't get her outta my head. But she never called me, so I had a lot of free time on my hands, _if you know what I mean_." He finished by shaking his fist up and down in a most lewd fashion.

Josie's mouth dropped open in shock at his blunt words and gesture. Certainly he wasn't being serious! She was certainly no prude, but she knew that her office was certainly no place for this kind of talk, especially with a patient in the room. Taking the clipboard in her hands, she lazily glanced over the patient list.

"Would you look at that? There's no open appointments today. Guess you'll need to leave," she said pointedly, hoping he'd get the hint. She was in no mood to be toyed with today. Why did she think this grungy big mouth was worth a chance in the first place?

John cocked his head to the side thoughtfully. "Do I make you uncomfortable?"

Looking around to make sure none of her co-workers were around, she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose exasperatedly.

"I wish you did," she began in a much quieter tone. "But for some strange reason, you don't. _That _makes me uncomfortable."

"Being comfortable around me makes you uncomfortable?" John asked, appearing genuinely confused. "What in the hell does that even mean?"

Covering her face with her hands in embarrassment, Josie replied, "I don't even know!" She suddenly realized how stupid she must have looked and couldn't help but laugh. "Why in the world would you be interested in me? I'm a mess."

"I'm a messy person myself," replied John, reaching forward to tilt her chin up to meet his gaze. His piercing eyes made her insides melt; the effect he had on her was borderline concerning. No man had ever made her feel so curious, so vulnerable.

"_Ahem_," came a voice from a few feet away. Both Josie and John looked out into the lobby where an older woman was clearing her throat and looking impatient in her seat.

John turned his head and opened his mouth to undoubtedly say something harsh, so Josie interjected before he could speak.

"So sorry about the delay, Ms. Evans. Dr. Keller will be with you shortly."

With a huff, Ms. Evans nodded and went back to her Good Housekeeping magazine. John turned back to Josie and gave her a goading look.

"I'm taking you out," he stated confidently.

"Do I get a say in the matter?"

"Only if your answer is yes."

Josie sighed again. She had to hand it to the guy; his persistence was unwavering, and his sex appeal could have convinced her even if his words couldn't. Finally surrendering, she reached into her purse on the desk, pulled out her calendar book, and flipped to the current week.

"I'm free Saturday evening," she told him in defeat.

John grinned smugly from ear to ear before grabbing the pen from the desktop and manipulating Josie's fingers to grasp it within her hand. He rolled up the sleeve on his dirty leather jacket to expose the underside of his lean forearm.

"Your address, right there."

"On your arm?"

John shrugged. "I don't wanna lose it. Just write, will ya?"

Josie smirked and obeyed his request, neatly scribing her address on his golden skin. She could feel his stare on her as she capped the pen.

"Saturday night at seven," he said through his gorgeous smile as he rolled his sleeve back down. "It's strange. I anticipated more of a struggle."

"I can turn you down again, if you'd like," replied Josie, penciling in his name on Saturday in her calendar. She looked up to see him targeting her with a knowing look, and she couldn't help but smile back. "What about that wrist?"

Rotating it a few times for good measure, John held up his left wrist and dramatically shouted, "It's a miracle! I've been healed!" He leaped over to crotchety Ms. Evans and wiggled his wrist near her spectacled face. "Would ya look at that, ma'am? Good as new!"

"It was your other wrist. Now leave me be!" Ms. Evans cried, swatting John away with her rolled up magazine. Josie couldn't help but giggle as John backed away towards the door. He shot her another impish grin and opened the door behind him.

"Till Saturday at seven, sweets?" he added, almost looking for an affirmation from Josie.

The laughing nurse smiled and nodded. "Yes, now leave us be!" When he disappeared from the office, Josie noticed that her cheeks hurt a bit from all the smiling she'd done in the past few minutes. The realization finally hit her: she was going on a date this weekend. Not with some fraternity brother from her college or the haughty son of one of her mother's friends, either. She was going on a date with a sexy bad boy who inexplicably couldn't get her out of his head. It seemed too good to be true.

Dr. Keller finally approached Josie's desk and informed her that he was ready for his next patient, so she called out into the lobby, "Ms. Evans, Dr. Keller will see you now."

"Finally!" The woman cried, dropping the magazine on the chair beside her and making her way to the hallway, but not before wagging a finger at Josie. "That boy's no good, dear. A hoodlum! If I was your mother, I'd scold you for taking him up on his offer!"

Then she leaned in towards Josie and quietly added, "Luckily, I'm not your mother, so I can say that he's a hunk. I was young once too, you know." And with that, she followed the doctor down the hall, leaving Josie to stifle her urge to laugh.


	3. Chapter 3

When Josie arrived home that evening after work, she was greeted in the kitchen by her roommate Lauren's boyfriend, Ben. All three of the college students lived together in an old Victorian style house they rented back in sophomore year. Ben had been Josie's best friend and neighbor since age five, and when Lauren moved to the neighborhood during their high school years, Josie had set the two up. Since then, they'd all been nearly inseparable, despite having conflicting school and work schedules.

"Hey," Ben greeted cheerfully as Josie closed the door behind her.

"Hey, smells great in here. Whatcha makin'?" asked Josie, placing her car keys on the kitchen table and taking a seat. Her body practically melted into the chair after the long day she'd had.

Ben opened the oven door to reveal a homemade pizza baking inside. Josie grinned from ear to ear as the delicious smell of cheese and tomato sauce seduced her senses. Ben's family recipe was to die for, and it had always been Josie's favorite comfort food.

"My favorite! Could this day get any better?" She cried joyfully.

Ben raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "You sure you just came from work? You know, that place with the work where you have to work?"

"Oh, you mean _work_," replied Josie in a deadpanned manner. "Yes, that's where I came from."

Pulling up a chair and sitting on it backwards, Ben began to question her reason for being in such a good mood. "Promotion? Pay raise? Did that old man from Chicago bring in butterscotch candies before his appointment again?"

Josie giggled at the last inquiry. "None of the above. Although I did love that butterscotch guy." Unable to hide her excitement any longer, she smiled and said, "I got asked out today."

For a moment, Ben's expression was unreadable; Josie wondered if he had heard her right until he smiled sweetly at her and squeezed her shoulder affectionately.

"That's great, Josie. Real great. It's about time someone finally had the balls to ask ya."

Now it was Josie's turn to raise an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, come on. You don't see those guys at school checking you out in the hallways ever since you and Will broke up? I've even had some of the boys from the engineering program ask me if I thought they stood a chance with you."

Ben tugged on his collar, a gesture he often took up when he was uncomfortable. Josie couldn't help but appreciate the fact that her best friend felt a sense of protection towards her, even if it meant missing out on some potential dates these past few months. As far as what Ben had told her about her male classmates, she supposed she'd been so busy with work and school that she truly hadn't noticed.

"Who's the lucky fella?" asked Ben, breaking the silence.

Josie blushed. "His name is John Bender." Even the sound of his name made her giddy. She felt like a teenager again.

"Sounds awfully familiar," Ben mused, trying to call upon his memory. "Can't put a face to it. When's he taking you out?"

"This Saturday evening. I'm not really sure what he's got planned."

Ben chuckled darkly and got up from his chair, tucking it back into the table. "If he knows what's good for him, he'll keep his plans G-rated."

"Jesus, Ben," spoke Josie, pulling her hair out of the tight ponytail she'd worn all day. "You weren't this bad with Will, and he was five years older than me!"

"Will was decent, though. Had a career, had goals, his own place. I don't know anything about this Bender guy."

Josie immediately decided it was best not to get too descriptive about the elusive John Bender. It wasn't that Ben was a prude or anything; in fact, he was probably the most forward thinking of all of her friends. But she could tell he was feeling a bit apprehensive about this, so she kept her mouth shut. Besides, her best guy friend probably didn't care to hear about how dreamy her date was.

They ate dinner together until Josie decided a hot shower was in order. She thanked her friend for the meal and offered to do the dishes, but Ben declined.

"It gives me something to do while waiting up for Lauren," he admitted. Lauren was currently a waitress, working evenings and nights in order to fit her daytime school schedule. Ben's manager position at the local grocery store had him working the day shift, so the couple's agendas were often on opposite ends. Josie felt bad for them both and spent most of her time missing Lauren, too. It would probably be a few days before she'd even get to spill the details of her hot date.

After her shower, Josie decided to throw on her pajamas and relax for the night. With her long freshly-shampooed hair pulled into a messy side braid, she entered the living room with a bottle of beer and some popcorn. Ben was already sitting on the couch watching the Chicago Cubs, beer in hand. She knew this was usually the time Lauren would be getting in from work, so Ben would wait up for her.

"Cubbies are down by two," he sighed, making some room for Josie.

"Cryin' shame. Where's Lauren? Shouldn't she be back by now?"

Ben shrugged and took a long sip from his beer. Josie sensed some tension and suddenly felt bad for bringing her up. They were quiet for a while until the game announcers on the TV went wild as a player for the opposing team hit a homerun. Both Ben and Josie cursed at the screen, succumbing to laughter at their behavior.

"Thanks for waiting up with me, Jo," Ben said after a moment, tapping her bottle of Bud appreciatively with the neck of his own. "It means a lot. You're the best."

"Don't make it weird, man," joked Josie, tossing a handful of popcorn at him. "It's part of my third wheel job description to keep you entertained." They smiled at her humor, but Josie knew that it wasn't entirely untrue. Like Ben was with her, she was quite protective of him; he was, after all, her best friend. She would never tell either of them this, but she knew that if anyone had the power to hurt Ben, it was certainly Lauren.

The next morning, Josie woke up to find herself lying on the couch, covered up with an old quilt. Sunlight streamed in from the windows, signaling that morning had arrived, and stung her eyes. She rubbed them furiously before they fell to her right where Ben was sleeping on the other end of the sofa. They must have fallen asleep sometime between the end of the baseball game and The Tonight Show.

Hugging the blanket around her, Josie went to get up but was startled by a crunching sound. She looked down to see that she had stepped on some stale popcorn. The mess was obviously her own, so she mentally noted to clean it up later. After trying to tiptoe silently out of the room, Josie made her way into the kitchen. On the table was a slice of cold pizza that Ben had left out for Lauren last night. Josie's heart sank as she noticed it was untouched. Looking out the window near the driveway, she only saw her own car and Ben's.

Lauren hadn't come home.

"She called around 2 AM," broke in Ben's distant voice from the couch. "Apparently she had too many drinks last night after her shift, so she stayed the night at a co-worker's apartment."

Josie was too embarrassed to face Ben, so she went to the fridge to look for some juice. This wasn't the first time Lauren had made this excuse, but it was certainly the first time Josie had begun to question it.

"If she could call you to tell you where she was, she could have just asked you to pick her up," she muttered, trying not to sound as irritated as she felt. Even if Lauren was her best friend, so was Ben and she didn't mean disrespect to either of them.

"At least I know she's safe," reasoned Ben, the sound of his footsteps veering off into the distance. "I've got work in an hour. I'm gonna grab a quick shower."

As he headed upstairs to the bathroom, Josie sighed and poured herself a glass of orange juice, pondering the situation before her. Her inner control freak was already formulating a strategy on how to remedy the damage Lauren had done, just as she always did. Of course, it had to happen right when something big was happening in her life, but that's just how it always happened. Her family and friends would inevitably come before her. Hopefully the issue would be resolved before her date with John tomorrow night.

Taking a big sip of orange juice, Josie winced at how the sweet nectar clashed with the sour sinking feeling of stress in the pit of her stomach.


	4. Chapter 4

Josie was pleased to find Lauren's car in the driveway when she came home from shopping Saturday afternoon. She always found it difficult to stay mad at her best friend, and all she wanted to do was tell Lauren about her date that upcoming evening. Hopefully she'd be particularly useful in helping her get ready.

"Hey, I was hoping I'd get to see you today!" Josie exclaimed, setting her shopping bag on the coffee table and plopping down next to Lauren. "I was worried I wasn't gonna make it home before you left for your shift."

"Actually, I don't work tonight," said Lauren, pulling her curly blonde hair into a ponytail.

"Really? That's great! I need your help getting ready for my date tonight."

Lauren gasped dramatically and covered her mouth with her hand. "A date? With who?"

"A patient from work," Josie replied proudly. "He's super gorgeous, but I'm really nervous. He's definitely not my type."

"So he's not a bore, then?" Lauren asked in what Josie wished had been a sarcastic manner. She was well-aware that she and Lauren differed in taste in almost everything, from food to clothes to men. Lauren had the tendency to be outspoken, especially about Josie's personal life, but Josie had learned to filter the helpful advice from the harsh.

"He's bold. One might even go as far to call him cocky," replied Josie, biting her thumb nail nervously. "Aside from that, I don't know all that much about him."

Lauren chuckled. "You've always been hard up for mystery, Jo. It's about time you experience it. What's his name, anyhow? Or do you not know that either?"

"Fuck you, I'm not _that_ dense. His name is John Bender."

At the name, Lauren's eyes widened. "John Bender from Shermer?" Josie shrugged and Lauren went on. "I used to go to school with him before I moved in middle school!"

"You did?"

Lauren nodded, her eyes glazing over as she called upon her memory of years past. "Yes, I remember him! He was rarely at school, but I do remember him getting hauled to the principal's office by the collar once during algebra."

Josie raised a suspicious eyebrow. "For what, exactly?"

"Setting his textbook on fire," replied Lauren uneasily. The look on Josie's face prompted her to quickly divert the subject. "So you said he was gorgeous, then?"

Flopping back on the couch with a frustrated groan, Josie covered her face in shame.

"I knew there had to be a downside. There's always a downside! He's probably a convict or…or the Zodiac killer or something."

"Hey!" Lauren barked, causing Josie to straighten up in attention. "Stop that right this instant! You're the least judgmental person I know, and now is not the time to be taking that up. A minute ago you were so excited for this date."

"That was before you gave me his history of violence," Josie mumbled.

"People change, you know. Remember me in middle school? All bird legs and braces?"

Josie rolled her eyes. "Gimme a break, Laure. You were offered a modeling gig every time we went to the mall. I'm pretty sure your real parents are Robert Redford and Farrah Fawcett."

"It would explain the trust fund," chimed Ben, entering the living room in his work clothes. He worked two jobs: part-time accountant, part-time grocer. Even though Lauren's parents had gifted her the large house as a high school graduation present, all three worked hard to make sure they were able to afford the rest of the necessities of living independently. Lauren's father was the heir of a million-dollar oil manufacturer; she was an only child, making her the sole recipient of his money and affections.

"Hey, babe! How was work?" Lauren asked in sickeningly saccharine voice. Josie, realizing her friend had a lot of kissing-up in store, held in a chuckle.

Ben barely looked up at her as he untied his pea-green apron and threw it over a chair.

"Abysmal, to say the very, very least," he quipped sullenly. "But that could be due in large part to getting almost no sleep last night."

Lauren's cheeks flushed at his backhanded allusion to her absence the night before. She glanced over at Josie, who was trying to seem preoccupied with the receipt from her shopping excursion, then stood up quickly and grabbed her friend by the arm.

"We need to get you ready for your date," Lauren began as she dragged Josie to the stairs. She looked back at her exhausted boyfriend and added, "Afterward, I wanna make it up to you, Benny. I'll make us a fabulous dinner as a token of my apology."

"Good to hear you apologizing for your cooking _before _I try it," Ben retorted with a half smile, obviously in a forgiving mood. Josie respected his patience but wondered when it would run dry. Pleased that she was back in good graces, Lauren giggled like windchimes and ushered Josie upstairs in preparation.

It was quarter till seven when Josie finally got a good look in the mirror. Her outfit was a little out of her comfort zone, but Lauren had assured her that it was tasteful and stylish. She wore a black flowery babydoll dress with black Mary Janes. Her long hair was half pulled up in two barrettes, showing a little more of her face than she was used to, and Lauren had accentuated her dark features with slightly more makeup than she normally wore. The last time she'd gotten made up like this was for one of Will's work parties. Her stomach dropped at the memory; that night had also been the moment she decided to break up with Will.

Suddenly Josie remembered how awkward and inadequate she had felt in that relationship. Even from the very first date, she somehow managed to transform from an intelligent, confident woman into a shy, uneasy girl whenever she was around Will. He was the epitome of brains and power, and she allowed her personality to be swallowed whole by his demeanor. It would seem that John Bender, like Will, was a bold presence with a demand to be noticed. What if she lost herself again?

"Don't over think it," said Lauren as she clasped a necklace around Josie's neck, keen to her friend's obvious nerves. "You look gorgeous, but it's not _just_ your appearance that's gonna drive him crazy."

The girls made eye contact in the mirror and began to laugh at the corny sentiment, too loud to hear the roar of an old engine outside.

"Yuck, you've been spending too much time with Ben!" Josie wretched.

Lauren covered her face in embarrassment and replied with a cringe, "God, I know! Sounded like a damn fortune cookie!"

"Uh, Jo? There's a motorcycle in driveway," called Ben from downstairs. He peeked out the kitchen window and swallowed as he saw a dark-haired man clad in wayfarers and leather dismount the Honda GL 1000. "It looks like there's a hoodlum attached to it."

Josie and Lauren sounded like a herd of buffalo as they frantically raced down the stairs. They both sandwiched Ben in the middle to get a good look at John Bender. Lauren gasped as Josie's breath hitched in her chest.

"I'll be damned. John Bender, how you've grown...," murmured Lauren incredulously as they all watched him ascend the staircase.


End file.
